Victoria Holt - Kirkland Revels

by Kirkland Revels (lit)

  " Oh ... thank you, Mary-Jane," I stammered.

  She propped me up with pillows and helped me on with my bed-jacket.

  Then she placed the tray on my knees.

  " Is there anything else, madam?"

  She was unlike herself, almost anxious to get out of the room. As she went I thought: Good heavens, has she heard already!

  I sat up, sipping my tea. I could not eat. The whole thing had come back to me vividly in all its horror; I found that my eyes kept straying to the foot of my bed.

  Realising it was no use trying to eat, I put aside the breakfast-tray and lay back thinking about last night, trying to assure myself that I had imagined it all. The draught . the bed curtain. Had I walked in my sleep? Had I opened the door? Had I myself drawn the bed curtain?

  " Gabriel," ( murmured, " did you walk in your sleep?"

  I was trembling, so I hastily pulled myself together.

  There was a logical explanation of my horrific adventure There was always a logical explanation, and I had to find it.

  I got out of bed and rang for hot water. Mary Jane brought it and set it in the powder-room. I did not speak to her in my usual friendly way. My mind was too full of what had happened on the previous night and I did not want to talk about that with her . or anyone . just yet.

  While I was finishing dressing there was a knock on my door and when I called, " Come in," Ruth entered. She said:

  " Good morning, Catherine," and looked at me anxiously " How are you feeling this morning?"

  " A little weary."

  "Yes, you look it. It was a disturbed night."

  " For you too, I'm afraid. I'm sorry I made such a fuss."

  " It doesn't matter. You were really scared. I'm glad you did waken me if it helped at all."

  " Yes, it did help. I had to talk to somebody ... real."

  " The best thing we can do is to try to forget it. I know how that sort of thing can hang about, though. I think Deverel Smith ought to give you something to make you sleep tonight You'll feel all the better for a good night's sleep."

  I was not going to argue with her any more, because I could see it was useless. She had made ur> her mind that 1 127 had been the victim of a nightmare, and nothing would change it.

  I said: " Thanks so much for sending up my breakfast."

  She grimaced. " I saw Mary-Jane taking the tray away. You didn't eat much of it."

  " I had several cups of tea."

  " You have to take care, remember. What do you plan to do this morning?"

  " Perhaps a little walk."

  "Well, I shouldn't go too far and ... don't mind my saying this, Catherine.... I should keep away from the Abbey for a while."

  A faint smile curved her lips; it might have been apologetic. I was not sure, for Ruth only seemed to smile with her lips.

  She left me and I went downstairs on my way out. I felt I wanted to get away from the house. I wished that I could ride out on to the moors, but I had given up riding and had cur tailed my walking considerably.

  As I came down to the hall Luke was coming in. He was in riding kit and looked surprisingly like Gabriel so that for a moment as he stood in shadow I could believe he was Gabriel. I gave a little gasp my nerves had certainly been affected by what had happened and I seemed to be expecting to see strange things.

  "Hallo," he said.

  "Seen any more hobgoblins?"

  He grinned and his careless unconcern gave me a twinge of alarm.

  I tried to speak lightly. " Once was enough."

  "A hooded monk!" he murmured.

  "Poor Catherine, you were in a state."

  " I'm sorry I disturbed you."

  " Don't be sorry. Any time you need assistance, call me. I've never been attracted to monks anyway. All that fasting, hair shirts ceilbacy and so on.... Seems to me so unnecessary. I like good food, fine linen and beautiful women. There's nothing of the monk about me. So if you want any help in tackling them, I'm your man."

  He was mocking me, and I had come to the conclusion that the best way to treat the affair was lightly. My own opinions would not change, but it was no use trying to force them on others.

  He and his mother were persisting in the belief that I had experienced a particularly terrifying nightmare. I would not 128 seek to change that opinion. But nevertheless I was going to find out who in this house had played such a cruel trick on me.

  " Thank you," I said, trying to speak as lightly as he had. " I'll remember that."

  " It's a pleasant morning," he said. " A pity you can't ride. There's just that nip of autumn in the air to make riding a pleasure; However, perhaps before long ..."

  " I'll manage without," I told him; and as I passed him his smile was enigmatic and I had a feeling that he was picturing me as I had looked in my dishabille the night before. I remembered then that Hagar Redvers had said he was like his grandfather, and Sir Matthew had an eye for women.

  I passed out into the open air. It was wonderful what fresh air could do. My fear evaporated and as I walked among the beds of chrysanthemums and Michaelmas daisies I felt capable of tackling any menace that might present itself.

  If you believe that was a human being playing a trick, I told myself, all you have to do is search your room and the powder-room before retiring and lock doors and windows. Then if you are disturbed by apparitions you will know that they are of the supernatural class.

  This was a test of my belief. It was, I reminded myself, all very well to be brave on a fresh bright morning like this, but how should I feel when darkness fell?

  I was determined to test myself, to prove that I really did believe that some human being had played that trick on me.

  I returned to the house for luncheon, which I took with Ruth and Luke.

  Luke made a reference to my " nightmare " and I made no contradiction of the term. That lunch was very like others; I fancy Ruth seemed relieved. She said I looked better for my walk, and it was true that I did eat well for I found I was hungry after having had no breakfast.

  When I rose from the luncheon table William came into the dining-room with a message from Sir Matthew. He would like to see me if I could spare the time to visit him.

  I said I would go at once if he was ready.

  " I will take you to his room, madam," William told me.

  He led me up the staircase to a room on the first floor which was not far from my own. I was beginning to learn where the family had their apartments. They lived mainly in the south wing: Sir Matthew on the first floor, where I now had my room, Ruth and Luke on the second; and the third, of course, was where I had lived with Gabriel during the short time we had been together in the house. Sarah was the only k. r.

  129 member of the family who occupied rooms other than in the south wing.

  She clung to the east wing where the nurseries were. The rest of the house was not being used at this time, but I was told that in the past Sir Matthew had entertained lavishly and that the Revels had often been filled with guests.

  The kitchens, bake houses and sculleries were on the ground floor and an extension of the south wing. The servants' sleeping quarters were on the top floor of the west wing. I had not seen them but Mary-Jane had told me this. So few people in such a large house!

  I found Sir Matthew sitting up in bed, a woollen bed- jacket buttoned up to his neck and a nightcap on his head. His eyes twinkled as I came towards him.

  " Bring a chair for Mrs. Gabriel, William," he said. | I thanked William and sat down. | "I hear you had a disturbed night, my dear," he said "Nightmare, Ruth tells me."

  " It's over now," I said. j " Frightening things, nightmares. And you ran out of your room on your bare feet." He shook his head. i William was hovering in the next room which, I presumed, was a dressing-room.

  The door was open and he would hear all that was said.

  I had a vision of the servants discussing the night's disturbance, and I wished to change the subject.

  "And how are you today
?"

  "All the better for seeing you, my dear. But I'm a sad subject. I'm old and the body gets worn out in time. Now you are young, and we cannot have you upset...."

  " I shall not be scared in future," I said quickly. " It was the first time anything like it had happened...."

  " You have to take care now, Catherine, my dear."

  " Oh, yes, I'm taking care."

  " I heard nothing of all this."

  "I'm so pleased. I should hate to think I had disturbed you too."

  " I don't sleep well but when I do it's like the sleep of the dead.

  You'd have to shout somewhat loudly to awaken me. I'm glad I've seen you, my dear. I wanted to satisfy myself that you were your bright and beautiful self again. " He smiled jauntily. " It was only for that reason that I asked you to come and see me in this state. What do you think of me. eh . poor old fellow in a nightcap! "

  " It's quite becoming."

  13" " Catherine, you are a flatterer. Well my dear, remember you are a very important member of the family now. "

  " I do remember," I said. " I shall do nothing that would be harmful to the child."

  " I like your outspoken ways, my dear. God bless you; and thank you for coming and saying a few kind words to an old man."

  He took my hand and kissed it, and as I went out I was still aware of William in the dressing-room.

  The whole house knows, I thought; and I wondered why Aunt Sarah had not been to see me. I should have thought she would have wanted to talk about the affair.

  I went to my room but I could not settle there, and I thought of the servants' talking together; and it occurred to me that the story would soon reach the ears of Hagar and Simon Redvers. I felt disturbed at the idea of their hearing a version other than my own. I cared very much for the good opinion of Hagar and I believed that she would be very scornful of anything fanciful.

  I decided then that I would go and see her and tell her exactly what had happened, before her opinions were coloured by other people's views.

  I set out and walked over to Kelly Grange; it was three o'clock when I arrived.

  Dawson took me into a small room on the ground floor and said she would tell Mrs. Rockwell-Redvers that I was there.

  " If she is resting," I said," please do not disturb her. I can wait awhile."

  " I will inquire, madam," Dawson replied.

  In a few minutes she returned with the message that Mrs.

  Rockwell-Redvers would see me at once.

  She was sitting in her high-backed chair as she had been on the occasion when I had first seen her. I took her hand and kissed it as I had seen Simon do--that was a concession to our friendship. I was no longer afraid that she would treat me with haughtiness. We now accepted' each other as equals, and that meant that we could be quite natural together.

  "It is good of you to call," she said.

  "Did you walk?"

  " It is such a short distance really."

  " You don't look as well as you did when I last saw you."

  " I did not sleep very well."

  " That is bad. Have you seen Jessie Dankwait?" 131 "This has nothing to do with Jessie Dankwait. I wanted to tell you about it before you heard it from another quarter. I wanted you to hear my version."

  " You are over-excited," she said coolly.

  " Perhaps. But I am calmer than I have been since it happened."

  " I want very much to hear about it. Please tell me."

  So I told her what had occurred, omitting nothing.

  She listened. Then she nodded almost judicially.

  " It is quite clear," she said, " that someone in the house is trying to alarm you."

  "It seems such a foolish thing to do."

  "I would not call a thing foolish if there is a reasonable motive behind it."

  " But what motive?"

  " To scare you. Perhaps to ruin your hopes of producing a child."

  " This seems a strange way to go about it. And who ..."

  "It may be the beginning of a series of alarms. I think we must be on our guard against that."

  There was a tap on the door. " Come in," she called and Simon entered.

  " Dawson told me that Mrs. Catherine was here," he said. " Have you any objection to my joining you?"

  " I have none," said his grandmother. " Have you, Catherine?"

  " But ... no."

  "You don't sound very sure," he said, smiling at me.

  "It is because we were discussing something which Catherine came here to tell me. I have no idea whether she would wish you to bear it."

  I looked at him and I thought I had never seen anyone so vital, so much a part of the present time. He radiated practical common sense. I decided that I wanted him to hear my version of the affair before anyone else's.

  " I have no objection of his hearing what has happened."

  " Then well tell him," said Hagar and proceeded to do so. It was a considerable wmfort that she told him the story as I had told it to her. Never once did she say, " Catherine thinks she saw," or "

  Catherine believed it was," but always Catherine saw and it was. How grateful I was for that.

  He listened intently.

  " What do you think of it?" Hagar asked when she had finished.

  " Someone in the house is playing tricks," he said.

  " Exactly," cried Hagar. " And why so?"

  " I imagine it could concern the heir who will in due course make his appearance."

  Hagar gave me a triumphant look.

  " It was a terrifying experience for poor Catherine," she said.

  " Why did you not make an attempt to catch the trickster?" asked Simon.

  " I did," I retorted indignantly. " But by the time I had recovered myself he had gone."

  " You are calling it' he." You have some reason to believe the creature is of the masculine gender? "

  " I don't know. But one must call it something. He comes more naturally than she. He was very quick; he must have been out of the door and along the corridor in a very short time, and men ..."

  " And then where did he go?"

  " I don't know. If he had gone downstairs I must have seen him. He could never have run down the stairs and across the hall in time. I can't imagine how he went along the corridor so swiftly."

  " He must have gone into one of the rooms there. Did you look?"

  " No."

  " You should have done."

  " Ruth appeared then."

  " And Luke came later," said Hagar significantly.

  " Did Luke appear to have been rushing about?"

  "You suspect Luke?" I asked.

  " I merely wonder. It must have been someone in the house, I suppose.

  If the idea was to frighten you, it must have been either Ruth, Luke, Matthew or Sarah. Did you see them all? "

  "Not Matthew, nor Sarah."

  "Ah!" I " I cannot imagine either of them running about the house in the night dressed up as a monk."

  Simon leaned towards me. He said: " The Rockwell family are all a little crazy about their traditions." He smiled at Hagar. "

  Everyone," he added. " I wouldn't trust any one of them where the old Revels is concerned, and that's a fact. They're living in the past half of the time. Who could help it in that old fortress? It's not a house. It's a mausoleum. 133 Anyone who lives there for any length of time is likely to gel strange ideas."

  " And you think I have!"

  " Not you. You're not a Rockwell simply because you married one.

  You're a forthright Yorkshire woman who'll blow a blast of common sense into the stuffy old place. You know what happens to the dead when they are exposed to fresh air, don't you? They moulder and crumble away.

  "

  " I'm glad you don't think I imagined all this, because that is what they are all trying to pretend I did. They call it a nightmare."

  " Naturally the trickster would want that put about."

  " I shall pretend for him next time."


  " He won't play the same game twice. You can be sure of that."

  "He won't get an opportunity to. I intend to lock my doors tonight."

  " But he may try something else," warned Simon.

  " I'm ready for tea," said Hagar. " Ring for Dawson, and the three of us will have it together. Then, Simon, you musl drive Catherine back to the Revels. She walked one way, and there and back is too far."